Sieves made from stainless steel or heat-friendly materials are best. Do bear in mind that sieves can be quite bulky though. You might want to do this over the sink, and choose someone with a steady hand! Pouring from a teapot, or a jug with a lip, will give you more control. With a quick scan of your kitchen cupboards, you could be enjoying a lovely smooth tea in minutes. Tea is the perfect breakfast beverage to help you get the day going.
Make sure the string is long enough for it to hang off the edge of your cup so it can easily be removed, once the steeping is done. Before you roll your eyes, bo lei tea I know that you probably don’t have that, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article. But you can use the same method but with a bowl and a small plate.
Here are a few guidelines to follow that will help you become a pro at steeping loose leaf tea. Can definitely use a tea ball to make loose leaf tea if that’s what you have on hand, but we don’t recommend it for a couple of reasons. Most tea balls are too small to fit the amount of tea you need.
If you have access to 2 different cups you can try this out. It will be slightly better than the single cup technique, but still far from perfect. If there are no strainers to be found, a small plate or other flat dish can also function as a lid to hold back the leaves and strain the liquid, as if straining pasta. In fact, our Competition Set is just a small version of this basic setup, with a small notch in the rim of the cup to allow for the brew to pour. Even a to-go cup with a small opening for sipping can function as a passable strainer in a pinch.
Basket-style strainers, metal or silicone infusers, and filter bags can be lifted out of your teapot or cup to stop the infusion. Well-steeped loose leaf tea is delicious to drink hot or iced! While the steeping instructions above mainly apply to making hot loose leaf tea, simply pour your steeped tea over ice for a cooling cup of iced loose leaf tea. If you want a stronger cup of iced tea, add an extra teaspoon or two of tea when steeping. Or, steep your loose leaf tea overnight in the fridge for a refreshing cold brewed tea.